Your Morning Dump… Where KG will do anything but wear pom-poms and short-shorts

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“Preference-wise, I don’t like it, to be honest with you," said Garnett. "I’m a 4. I don’t like, you know — it's what it is. I’ll be whatever this team needs me to be. Other than a cheerleader with pom-poms and some short-shorts. Other than that, whatever this team needs me to be, man, I’ll be it.

"I have a lot of confidence in myself when it comes to playing basketball, and positions are just numbers to me. But if it comes to preference, I enjoy the 4. There’s a lot more versatility in the 4. The 5 you’re kind of stuck in mud and cement and you know things are written — there's not a lot of variation in the 5 position. But this is what it is, and I’m enjoying it and I’m adapting and doing whatever I can to give my team an edge."

As Garnett bottom-lined it, "Doc, he's the captain, so whatever he says goes."

Ultimate. Team. Guy. It's this attitude that has me praying Garnett will return to Boston next season (and maybe more) at low money to mentor the new guys.

Doc Rivers provides some great insight into why KG is so effective at center:

"First of all, [Garnett is] so smart defensively, [opposing centers] will be bigger, but they have to be awful smart to score on him," said Rivers. "He’s so crafty. Secondly, I think his speed now, he’s the quicker person, where at 4, there’s a lot of 4s as quick or quicker. Now all of a sudden, he’s the fastest 5, so that’s a big advantage for us, especially in our pick-and-rolll game, which, if you’ve noticed since they break, we’re running far more of it. Because when he pops and rolls, that’s a 5 trying to get back to him, they can’t catch him. Then with Brandon being able to space the floor on the opposite side, it really stretches the floor for us."

This is working for two reasons: 1) Garnett is playing at a high level again and 2) Aside from Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, there are no true back-to-the-basket offensive monsters in the league.

ESPN Boston and many other bloggers are running this story with the "I don't like it" in the headline. The quote is fair game, but Garnett does come full circle at the end of the interview and say, "he's enjoying it." It's stuff like this that irks players and that's why I went with a respectable headline.

On Page 2, another Ray Allen trade rumor story that involves the Clippers.

Yet for all the talk of Boston point guard Rajon Rondo possibly being traded, some league executives have shooting guard and free-agent-to-be Ray Allen pegged as the most likely to be moved. Sources say the Clippers are interested, having lost Chauncey Billups to season-ending injury and lost out to New York in the J.R. Smith sweepstakes.

But the price is likely too high, as Boston wants a package that includes a young talent and a draft pick. The Clippers don't have the latter component, though, and there's a bit of irony involved as to why.

Their 2012 first-round pick went to Oklahoma City in a deal for point guard Eric Bledsoe, and was then moved to Boston in the trade that sent center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder. The Clippers also had Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-rounder, but gave it to New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade.

Yet another rumor involving Ray Allen and the Clippers. But none of these rumor stories get specific and name a player the Celtics would want in return.

CP3, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan aren't going anywhere. Randy Foye is a journeyman. Caron Butler is aging and comes with two more years and $16 million on his contract.

The bench consists of old guys: Keyon Martin, Reggie Evans, Bobby Simmons and Mo Williams. Ryan Gomes is barely playing, plus he's got two more years and $8 million on his contract. Eric Bledsoe is a point guard who can't shoot (insert Rondo joke here).

I’m starting to wonder if these trade journalists have any idea with what they are talking about. Yes, I do have a good feeling that ray Allen is going to be the one that gets traded but who in the clippers would we get in return… Their best talents are basically untouchable…

http://profile.typepad.com/mannoperry Perry Manno

It’s hard to see Ray being traded to the west coast in light of his wife giving birth a short time ago and I agree LAC doesn’t have the moving parts. If he is dealt it will likely be for an expiring contract unlike Gomes (2 years remaining) and a first rounder, which the Clips vanquished this year.
I don’t see Atlanta trading J. Smoove for Ray/JO/#1. Chicago could use him, but they won’t move Gibson or Aisk. Indy might work because they have a #1 and Psycho T. Would OKC be interested in swapping Perk for Ray/JO? They have to commit dollars for Harden and Ibka, and have enough depth up front. Ray’s marksmanship could make them impossible to double in crunch time.